


In Heaven

by AMidnightDreary, Rabentochter



Series: MMIH [2]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Honeymoon, Human Loki (Marvel), Light Angst, M/M, Marriage of Convenience, Mutual Pining, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:00:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28031289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AMidnightDreary/pseuds/AMidnightDreary, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rabentochter/pseuds/Rabentochter
Summary: Loki and Tony got married rather quickly so that Loki could stay in the States, and now Loki faces the following problem: He's on honeymoon with his husband, and he's the only one with romantic feelings.
Relationships: Loki/Tony Stark
Series: MMIH [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2053227
Comments: 22
Kudos: 224





	In Heaven

**Author's Note:**

> Second part of a series! So read Rabentochter's wonderful story first♥️

Loki had been in his share of hotels in his life, but most of them had been cheap, rundown places that smelled of mildew and mothballs. This, though?

This smelled of salt water and clean air, of room spray and fresh bed sheets. Their overwater suite was less a suite than a small villa, all light-flooded rooms and luxurious furnishing. The clear, turquoise ocean was visible from every room, and if they wanted, they could jump off the terrace right into the water. There was a long pier that led back to the beach and to a few other suites, although those were far enough away to ensure a considerable amount of privacy.

It was warm.  _ Hot,  _ really, but the doors to the terrace were wide open, letting in a soft breeze that made the temperature a little more bearable. Loki had never been one to enjoy heat overly much, but he had to admit that this place was… well, surreal for one thing, but also quite beautiful.

“Too much?”

Loki turned away from the open door and looked over to where Anthony was standing, looking somewhat lost in the doorway of the bedroom. His hair was still a bit messy from the long flight, the sleeves of his loose fitting rolled up to his elbows. He was grinning, in that crooked, almost self-deprecating way of his; the grin that the cameras never got to see. The look in his eyes was worried.

“Maybe a little,” Loki replied with a smile of his own. “But I'll endure it for your sake.”

Anthony snorted and finally came into the room, not meeting Loki's gaze. Their bags were already in front of the bed, brought in by the staff, and Anthony crouched to rummage around in his.

“I just, you know.” He cleared his throat. “If you have to do this with me, at least it's somewhere nice.”

Loki looked at him, frowning slightly. There was a ball of unease and discomfort sitting low in his stomach that had nothing to do with this place being so obviously above his pay grade.

“I'm certain that should be the other way around,” he said.

Anthony raised his head, finally looking at Loki again. “Huh?”

“ _ You _ are doing  _ me _ a favor,” Loki clarified. “The biggest, in fact. So I'd say it is you who has to do this with me. But yes, at least it's somewhere nice.”

“I don't mind being here with you.” Anthony stood up, his toiletries bag in his hands. “I told you that. Several times.”

“Yes, of course. Still, I -” Loki glanced at the ocean. “I hope you know this wasn't… necessary. I don't even want to imagine how expensive this is.”

“You've got access to the finances now, you know. You could check.”

Loki heard the teasing note in Anthony's voice, but he himself only managed a faint smile. He thought about the shining new credit card in his wallet, and Anthony's smile when he had given it to Loki.  _ I think it's impossible to actually max this, but feel free to try. _

And he'd actually  _ meant _ that.

“I'm not sure I want to know,” Loki said. 

Anthony didn't say anything to that. Instead asked, “Do you mind if I hog the bathroom? I feel like I still smell of, you know. Getting up too early to catch a flight.”

Loki doesn't remind Tony that they didn't have to catch a flight, per se, because they had taken Anthony's private jet, which generally took off whenever he wanted it to. “I wasn't aware that's a smell.”

“It is, and it sucks.”

“Well, then go ahead and get rid of it.”

Anthony pulled some clothes out of his bag and went to the bathroom. Loki could hear him close the door, then, “Lokes, this tub is  _ gigantic!” _

That made Loki chuckle, at least a little, but he couldn't think of something to say in response. A few seconds later the shower started running, and Loki went out on the terrace. He'd already taken off his shoes and the wood felt nice beneath his bare feet, all warmed up from the sunlight. The sight in front of him was just about the prettiest thing he had ever seen, but he couldn't appreciate it as much as he should have.

Honeymoon.

People should spend their honeymoon happy and in love. They should be giddy, content, unable to keep their hands off each other. 

They should  _ not _ be as terrified as Loki was.

He would have been more comfortable going somewhere remote and quiet, somewhere he didn't have to feel like they were putting on a show. They  _ were _ putting on a show, of course. Their wedding had been the topic of several cover pages in the last days, and Anthony had been right when he had said that people would have found it odd if they hadn't gone to a five star place like this for their honeymoon. And Loki had known that beforehand, had known that marrying Anthony would not only mean, well, being married to Anthony, but also being married to  _ Tony Stark.  _ And Tony Stark was not just a name, it was also a brand, and that brand was public property. It had been clear from the start that they wouldn't be able to keep their marriage discreet.

In a way, that was an advantage. Loki was not terrified enough to not be aware of that. Anthony was rich and powerful enough that nobody dared to doubt the sincerity of their relationship, and that meant that Loki was actually,  _ truly _ safe. He could stay. He could keep his job, keep doing what he had studied for, and most of all he could keep Anthony as his best friend.

Husband.

There was something bitter about that.

Loki sat down on the edge of the terrace and let his feet dangle in the water. He fiddled around with the ring he was wearing on the ring finger of his right hand; he wasn't used to the feeling yet. It was golden, simple but elegant, and not for the first time he thought that he  _ could _ get used to the feeling and the sight easily, if the circumstances had been different.

“Well, there are worse places, definitely.”

At the sound of Anthony's voice, Loki looked over his shoulder. Anthony was already coming over to him, dressed in fresh clothes, his hair still wet. When he sat down next to him, Loki had to look away completely to stop himself from ogling.

“Hey,” Anthony said, bumping Loki's shoulder with his own. “You okay?”

“Yes,” Loki replied. “I'm fine. It's just -”

“Yeah?”

Loki frowned, but kept his gaze fixed on the horizon. “I know this is not… ideal. For either of us.”

Next to him, Anthony sighed. “Loki, we've been over this. It's alright. I mean, I know it's not what you  _ want, _ being married to me, but - it'll be fine.”

“I'm not worried about me,” Loki said, slightly annoyed because Anthony still didn't  _ understand _ this. “It's you who has to sacrifice half of their life to help me. Meanwhile, I get a credit card and an apartment in your tower and ridiculously expensive hotels on ridiculously beautiful islands.”

Anthony still didn't seem to be very bothered by the unfairness of this arrangement. “And I get to spend even more time with the most amazing person I know, so we're even.”

“You're too kind,” Loki said, and although his tone was sarcastic, he meant every word.

Anthony didn't look at him. He was grinning that grin again. “Tell me something,” he said.

“Like what?”

“I don't know, whatever's on your mind.”

Loki sighed, and told him about the ocean.

\---

They had dinner in the restaurant of the hotel, and although Loki didn't know what he was eating for most of the time, it was nice enough. They could have spent the rest of the evening in the bar, drinking and celebrating like newlyweds might have done, but instead they went back to their suite immediately when they were done eating - which was, when Loki thought about it, also something newlyweds might have done. 

They watched the sunset. Anthony went for a brief swim in the warm water, while Loki pretended to be very interested in a brochure about snorkeling he had found in the lobby of the hotel, although what he was really interested in was how nice Anthony looked in his swimming trunks.

“You want to try that?” Anthony asked, grinning up at Loki from where he was holding onto the ladder that led down into the water.

“I've done it before,” Loki said. “In California. I am sure it would be very lovely here, though.”

“So we try it,” Anthony decided, seemingly satisfied that they were making plans at all. “It'll be fun.”

Another grin that wasn't for the cameras - this one, happy and excited, unguarded. Loki could have looked at Anthony grinning like that for the entire night without getting bored, and Loki got bored easily.

There was only one bed, so they shared it. Loki was awake for ages, listening to Anthony's quiet breaths and the sound of the waves, until he finally fell asleep.

\---

He woke up to the sound of rain. He opened his eyes only reluctantly and saw that Anthony had already sat up, watching as the thin curtains in front of the terrace doors were moved by the wind. 

Loki grunted softly and rubbed his bleary eyes. “It’s not monsoon season, is it?”

Anthony looked at him, smiling. “Nah, we’re just lucky.”

“So it seems,” Loki murmured and sat up as well, looking at what he could see from the ocean. It wasn’t raining very strongly and it would probably stop soon, but the sound was soothing, and the cloudy sky sure was a sight. “I think I might actually prefer this over sunshine. It cools the air a little.”

“Yeah,” Anthony agreed. He was still looking at Loki, still smiling.

Loki blinked at him. “What is it?”

“Your accent,” Anthony said. “It’s thicker when you’ve just woken up. It’s cute.”

“Cute,” Loki echoed. 

“You know what I mean by that,” Anthony said, averting his eyes, and got out of bed. “So! Breakfast? I’m starving.”

So they went and had breakfast, and by the time they returned to their suite, the sun was shining again. They took a walk around the island, exploring everything, and since Anthony had made sure that there wouldn’t be any reporters around, they didn’t even need to hold hands, which was honestly a shame. That Loki thought it was a shame made him feel a pang of guilt - he had known that it would get difficult when he’d agreed to marry Anthony, but he hadn’t expected his feelings to be quite so… insistent. He couldn’t spend their entire stay here pining after his best friend who was now his husband, yes, but  _ only in name; _ that was pathetic. But, well, there wasn’t much else he could  _ do _ here, really. They had two whole weeks in front of them, two weeks of doing nothing and spending twenty four hours a day with each other, and the scenery was gorgeous and romantic and Anthony was  _ right there, _ with his grins and his jokes and his kind eyes, and it was all just very, very unfair.

Loki was perfectly aware that he was pouting, but he couldn’t help it.

On the third day, they lazed around on the terrace of their suite again, sitting close to the water and playing cards. Loki felt sleepy and comfortable for a change, because they’d had a very nice dinner and conversation had flown easily all evening, and also he had beaten Anthony for the third time just now.

“You’re too good at this,” Anthony complained, and now  _ he _ was pouting. “Why are you so good at this?”

“I’m a man of many talents.”

“You’re cheating. You’re talented at cheating.”

Loki put on an offended expression. “Anthony, we’ve been married for just a few days, and you’re already accusing me of cheating?”

Anthony had to laugh at that. “Yeah, damn right I am. I don’t know  _ how _ you do it, but you’re doing it.”

“I’m willing to grant you a rematch if you want it.”

“No, thanks,” Anthony said dryly. “I don’t think my ego could take it.”

It was Loki’s turn to laugh, and in response Anthony gave him a playful shove. Loki remained unimpressed, at least he pretended to remain unimpressed, because in truth he was busy trying to deal with the fact that they had somehow shifted closer to each other while they had been playing. He should have noticed that before, given that it had allowed him to steal subtle glances at Anthony’s cards, but now he didn’t pay attention to the game anymore. No, he paid attention to the way Anthony’s outstretched leg was pressed against Loki’s own thigh, and that Loki would only need to stretch out his arm by a few inches to tangle his fingers in Anthony’s shirt and pull him close, and these were  _ exactly _ the kind of thoughts he should not be thinking while he was on the fake honeymoon to celebrate their fake marriage, and -

And suddenly they were kissing. 

Loki was confused, mostly because he was pretty sure that he had not moved at all, and also his hand wasn’t grasping Anthony’s shirt -  _ Anthony’s _ hand was grasping  _ Loki’s _ shirt. And  _ Anthony _ had kissed  _ him, _ not the other way around. 

Loki’s brain was still trying to understand what was happening when Anthony pulled away, and then they just stared at each other for a moment, dumbstruck.

“I, uh,” Anthony said, his voice faint. “I got. Carried away a bit. Uh -”

“Anthony,” Loki said.

“Yeah?”

“You kissed me.”

Anthony winced and repeated, “Yeah?”

_ God. _ He’d been an idiot. They had both been idiots. Loki just sat there for a moment longer. “Alright,” he said then. 

“What? What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Loki said and now he did grab Anthony’s shirt, pulling him close again, “that you can kiss me again. If you want to.”

Anthony just gaped at him, so Loki rolled his eyes and kissed him and yes,  _ god, _ they could have been doing this the whole time.  _ The whole time. _ They had kissed before, at the wedding - and before the wedding, just to make sure that it wouldn’t look awkward - so this was not technically something  _ new, _ but it was still… different. Still  _ better. _

“Shit,” Anthony murmured against Loki’s lips when they broke apart, breathless. “Shit, Loki.”

“Yes.”

“Are we - are we on the same page here? Because -”

“Yes,” Loki said again, pressing his lips to the corner of Anthony’s mouth. “I believe we are.”

“Oh my god,” Anthony said, and then he started to laugh. “God, Loki, we’re married.”

“Indeed. We could have avoided all this trouble if you had,” he paused and had to smile himself, “gotten your shit together sooner.”

“Oh, come on. You could’ve made the first step too, asshole.”

“Rude.”

“And besides, I  _ literally _ asked you to marry me, if that wasn’t me getting my shit together, I don’t know what it was.”

He was laughing, and Loki had to join in, and so they just sat there, giggling and kissing and catching their breath and Loki thought, yes -  _ honeymoon. _

What he was feeling now was much, much more appropriate.


End file.
